


More to come, more to reach for, more to hurl at the door

by silvermadi (Orientation)



Series: Hemingway [1]
Category: Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot | They Call Me Jeeg (2015), Wolf (2013)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, They Are Idiots, but they like each other, the fic that's just an elaborate backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:55:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27119881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orientation/pseuds/silvermadi
Summary: After his life gets more in danger the more his reputation grows, Fabio decides to hire some muscle to protect his life. He ends up choosing Majid, a Dutch-Moroccan ex-fighter, having fled the Netherlands after pissing off his former employer. Despite his broken left hand and quick-to-anger temper, Fabio has never felt more safe in his life, even if Majid is tough to read and even harder to approach on a personal level.Or, in which Majid and Fabio dance around each other, hurt one another and then make up.
Relationships: Fabio Cannizzaro/Majid Zamari
Series: Hemingway [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979557
Comments: 24
Kudos: 67





	More to come, more to reach for, more to hurl at the door

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is miles away from what my original idea was. As such, I've decided to split the entire thing up.  
> So enjoy some almost 10k of rambling from me about them.
> 
> Many many thanks to Viola and Lestey for beta'ing! <3

Fabio is not having a good time. After successfully doing business with Nunzia, he and his organisation had climbed the ladder very quickly. But with a greater reputation, also came more enemies who wanted him dead. So after yet another attempt on his life by some young thug, he decides he must up his security. Not necessarily because he can't deal with the occasional threat on his life, but simply because he can't be bothered.

And maybe so Ricca can stop complaining about him being in unnecessary peril because he's being stubborn.

He lets Ricca drag him to several underground fights to look at the fighters. "The best place to find a bodyguard," Ricca has assured him, before entering the abandoned warehouse-turned-boxing-ring for the night. "These fighters are some of the toughest sons of a bitches out there. But they fight underground for a reason."

Fabio hums, sticking close to Ricca who's waving them a path to get closer to the ring, simultaneously pushing away the bodies crashing into him. He has no desire to be here, this kind of scene isn't for him. The floor is sticky with beer already, the voices screaming already threatening to become white noise. And what for? To see some thugs beat each other to a pulp?

"And what is that?" Fabio asks, sneering at a young woman who stumbles into him and pushes herself off with a slightly slurred 'sorry!'. 

Ricca reaches out and grabs Fabio by his wrist, pulls him forward out of the throng of bodies. "Money, what else?" He smiles at Fabio, clearly pleased with himself.

Fabio fishes the little sanitizer bottle he keeps on him at all times out of his pocket. Squirting a bit of the liquid on his hands, he rubs them together and takes his forearms into the process for good measure. He gives Ricca an unimpressed look.

"We'll see."

They find a place with reasonable space for them to move around in, and the impromptu bar is close by, as is a bench to sit on (once Fabio has threatened some guy to get the fuck off because _standing on the bench_ , really? You can just stand the fuck on the floor). Fabio heaves a sigh and prepares himself mentally for a long night. The fight happening right now is slow-going and both fighters don't manage to get a good punch in. The crowd around Fabio starts to whistle their disapproval. The fight gets concluded by jury vote, and Fabio shakes his head. 

"No," is all he says, and Ricca nods.

"I'm going to get us some beers. If this is the best they have tonight, it will be a long night." He slaps Fabio lightly on the shoulder and disappears towards the bar.

The fights keep creeping by, and Fabio can honestly say he's not impressed at all. He and Ricca sat down after the third fight. Fabio has opened up Candy Crush on his phone so he has something to do, but his eyes keep getting involuntarily dragged back to the fights, especially when the crowd picks up the noise in either excitement or disapproval.

Ricca provides some commentary too. Some fights he likes to watch and he keeps telling Fabio which fighter they need to approach. Fabio just nods his consent, not really caring.

That changes when the organiser of the fight steps into the ring and calls for the last fight of the night. "Ladies and Gents!" he calls into the microphone, voice high pitched in excitement. Fabio looks over to Ricca and rolls his eyes at him. Ricca just shrugs.

_Has it been three hours already?_

"We've got something special for you tonight!" the organiser proceeds, trying to build up the tension. "In the right corner we welcome Enzo, our local champion! In the left corner, we welcome newcomer Majid, who asked to officially challenge Enzo for the champion title!"

The crowd goes wild. Fabio looks at Ricca, and Ricca leans into him. "This should be interesting!" he shouts into Fabio's ear to make himself understandable. "Enzo hasn't been defeated in the last three years! I wanted to approach him for you, but I thought we might see how he fights first!"

Fabio nods. "What of the other guy?" he shouts back. He takes a swig of his third (or was it fourth?) beer of the night. His mouth is suddenly quite dry.

 _What a man_ , thinks Fabio. The guy is fucking ripped. Muscles well defined on his arms, on his shoulders, on his back. Not even starting on his chest and pecs. Fabio has the sudden desire to kiss the man along the tops of his shoulders and to proceed his way downwards, over his chest, his nipples, gently biting and kissing his way down. He swallows around the lump in his throat and has to physically shake himself to turn his attention back to Ricca.

Ricca shakes his head. "I have never heard of him! I don't know who he is or where he comes from." He takes a good look at Fabio's face, notices how his eyes have glossed over. Ricca rolls his eyes.

 _"Madre di dio,"_ he mutters under his breath. _God help him with this idiot._ "Let's see how he fights first, yes? Before you start on me," he says, leaning away and finishing his beer. He's secretly rooting for Enzo now, he's never going to hear the end of it if this nobody manages to throw out the reigning champion. Fabio's going to act like a bitch in heat and Ricca simply doesn't want to deal with that.

Fabio leans back and puts his phone away, eyes already glued to the tall man in the left corner, who's shaking himself to keep his muscles warm, hitting his gloves together in anticipation. 

The bell clings and Fabio's surroundings fade away into the background the moment the new guy, _Majid_ , steps forward and instantly launches an attack. He jabs a few times with his right hand, trying to feel out Enzo's defences. But it is clear why Enzo has been reigning champion for a few years now. He's pretty much a passive fighter, but his defences are strong and Majid doesn't seem able to break through them to deliver any real damage, no matter how many jabs he launches at the Italian and how much he steers him into the corners.

Fabio mindlessly fiddles with his hands, caught up in the way Majid doesn't seem to back down or get discouraged by his lack of actual hits. The guy is sweating and his breathing is heavy, judging on the way his shoulders seem to heave with each breath. Fabio leans back towards Ricca. "Why isn't Enzo doing anything?!" he says. "This is getting boring!"

Ricca sighs, but keeps his eyes on the game. "This is Enzo's usual tactic. He lets his opponent wear himself out, trusting in his own defences. So when the other guy is tired in the second round - or before that, even - he just has to place one good counter and the match is his." 

"Okay, I understand that! But _when_ -" Fabio hasn't even finished his sentence when the crowd picks up and starts hollering Enzo's name. Majid is stumbling backwards, clearly taken off guard. A bruise is blossoming on his left cheek.

It happened so fast Fabio didn't even see what happened. He looks questionably at Ricca. "The new guy’s defence is decent, but it's downright terrible on his left side. Also notice how he prefers his right? Enzo got him all right!"

Fabio hums disapprovingly at Ricca's excited tone. "Come on, new boy," he mutters under his breath. Then, louder; "I don't like Enzo much."

The bell rings. Both fighters retire to their own corner. Enzo has a whole crew around him. Someone puts a stool for him in the corner so he can sit, another pushes a glass of water into his hands so he has something to drink. A third one has a little box of vaseline in his hands and is treating the little cut on his eyebrow from where Majid had been able to nick him with his jab. The vaseline will prevent the skin from tearing.

Majid, Fabio notices, is on his own. No fancy crew around him. He stays on his feet but bends down to get his flask with water. He swiftly drinks from it, then holds it to his cheek to chill the bruise a bit. He seems to be muttering to himself.

"You don't have to like them," Ricca answers, rolling his eyes. "He just has to protect you."

Fabio shakes his head. "I don't care. I want the new guy."

"The one currently losing?" Ricca laughs scathingly, a little disbelieving. "Enzo's the best one out there! For the right price we can have him do dog tricks!"

"If I want a man doing dog tricks, I'll just get another dog," Fabio snaps.

The bell rings, indicating the second round is going to start. Ricca shoots Fabio an irritated look. "How about this? The winner of this game is the one we approach first."

Fabio grins. "Deal." He goes back to muttering encouragements under his breath, body leaning forward and fingers drumming along the seams of his trousers. He really wants Majid to win. He cannot stand Enzo.

It is clear Enzo has been saving up all his energy, because now he is the one playing offence, descending on Majid without mercy. He clearly remembers his opponent's weak spot and seems to try to break Majid's left side down. 

It's when Majid blocks one particular hard hook with his left glove that Fabio sees it. Something snaps in Majid, he can _see_ it. Where his brown eyes were first focussed, they now seem to darken, go absent. He bares his teeth, like something animalistic. Fabio gasps. _He knows this feeling._

After that, it isn't much of a fight.

Majid manages to duck to avoid another hook aimed at the left side of his face. He manages to get close and fully plants his elbow in Enzo's face. Even from the distance Fabio is watching, he can hear the satisfying crack of a nose being broken. 

Both Fabio and Ricca jump up when Enzo stumbles back into the rope.

"That's fucking illegal!" Ricca shouts, gesturing at the referee to _interfere, already!_ But Fabio can't care less. He can feel the anticipation of what is to happen humming in his bones. He can practically taste it.

Majid flies forward, going in for the kill. He is absolutely ruthless, hammering fist after fist into Enzo's face. Not even the referee, who is fully screaming at Majid to back off at this point, can interfere.

Majid draws back his left hand and punches with all his might, all of his body thrown in, right at the temple of Enzo. Fabio can see the moment Enzo loses consciousness. The force of the punch sends him almost literally flying.

It's almost comical, the way the crowd almost entirely falls into stunted silence. It is Fabio who breaks the heavy silence by whistling on his fingers. _"Grande!"_ he shouts, clapping his hands together, and Majid looks up, a stunned expression on his face when the rage disappears. He lets himself be dragged back to the corner by the referee while the nurse, paid off handsomely to play doctor tonight, tends to Enzo. Majid scans the crowd, and a chill goes down Fabio's spine when they lock eyes.

Not turning his gaze away, Majid lifts his gloves to his mouth to rip the bands loose with his teeth. Fabio bits his lip almost immediately as a response. Majid grins wolfishly at him and turns away, lifting the ropes and making a swift escape, followed down into the corridor by Fabio's eyes and the thunderous applause and screams of the crowd all around Fabio. He cannot seem to hear them.

He is vaguely aware of Ricca shouting in his ear, something about talking to both fighters. Fabio pays him no mind. He absently pats Ricca on his shoulder, turns around and makes his way to the exit, daydreaming about bulging muscles, furious wild eyes and wolfish grins. 

\-- 

It takes Ricca some time and convincing for both fighters to agree to come meet Fabio. It had also taken quite a lot to convince Ricca that Majid technically _had won the fight_ , whether by illegal actions or not. Therefore, Majid had officially become the first choice. And since he wasn't in the hospital recovering, opposed to Enzo, it was only logical that Majid would be the first solicitor.

Fabio had been playing out back with his rottweilers, spoiling them with treats every time they performed a trick for him. Ricca had warned him that Majid was waiting for him inside maybe fifteen minutes ago. _'Let him stew for a few minutes,'_ Fabio had thought to himself. _'I'm dying to see how he reacts.'_

Whistling to himself, Fabio enters the house and makes his way to his little corner that is his office. Majid is sprawled out in the chair opposite of the table, looking around boredly. His left leg is hooked over the side rail of the chair, while his right leg is bouncing slightly.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Fabio says while he walks around his desk and sits down. Majid jumps slightly but recovers almost immediately, face smoothing out into a poker face. Guarded. Well then, Fabio has dealt with more difficult things.

Reaching for the hand sanitizer to disinfect his hands, Fabio takes his time taking the other man in. God, he is a _sight_. Dark hair shorn and a 5-o'-clock shadow for a beard, he makes a pretty picture. The bruise on his left cheek has darkened a lot overnight, looking an angry shade of purple mixed with some green. Fabio nods at it.

"Looks like it's healing well."

Majid scoffs. "Still hurts like a bitch," he grumbles, before his lips pull up into some kind of semblance of a smile. "But you should see the other guy."

"I saw," Fabio answers, grinning widely. He reaches out his hand. "Fabio Cannizaro, but known around here as _Lo Zingaro_."

Majid's eyes widen at the mention of his nickname, but other then that he doesn't move a muscle. Instead, he clasps his hand into Fabio's and _squeezes_. "Majid Zamari."

Not easily intimidated, then. Fabio's going to have _so much fun_. 

Leaning back into his chair, he runs a hand through his hair. Majid follows the movement closely with his eyes, but says nothing. Fabio smirks at him and lets out a sigh. "I normally don't enjoy watching fights like the ones last night. I find them - boring, I suppose. Too many rules to follow, not enough damage to really take your pleasure out. It's _tame_." He pauses to appreciate how Majid has started to tense up. " _Cazzo_ , but _then_! Then you entered the scene. I will be honest with you, I don't know much of the technical side of things. But I know what a beating to the death looks like - I have had to execute those myself a few times, unfortunately. Tell me, did you aim for the temple of Enzo? You could easily have killed him. It's one of the most fragile places on the human body and it can leave permanent damage. Did you know you could've had poor Enzo ending up with cerebral haemorrhage?" Fabio is grinning so wide he fears his face will split in two.

That grin returns to Majid's face. Oh, the things Fabio could _do_ to him. "Is that so?" he asks, all casual and laid-back. 

Fabio hums. "I had to argue all night with Ricca last night," he says, moving on. "He loves these kinds of fights, but when they're more on the legal side of things." Fabio rolls his eyes while Majid scoffs. "He says you cheated by using your elbow."

Majid shrugs. "And what of it?" he asks, trying to keep his voice at an even level, but Fabio can see him getting worked up. After all, aren't the eyes the gateways to the soul?

"Nothing, I didn't care," Fabio answers. "I was finally entertained. But there was something else my dear Ricca noticed." Fabio nods towards Majid's hands.

That hits a nerve. Majid shifts, getting his legs back on the ground, leans back in his chair and folds his arms. While he moves Fabio gets a clear glance at his left hand. It’s swollen, and his knuckles are either broken or a deep purple bruise. 

He has a mighty scowl, Fabio will give him that. He might be in love just a little. He is definitely coming up with a few different ways to wipe that scowl off his face. He might even fall down on his knees for it.

Fabio leans forward, folds his hands and rests his head on his hands. "What is wrong with your hands, Majid?"

Majid raises an eyebrow. "I don't know. You tell me what's wrong with my hands. Judging on last night they seem to be working fine."

 _Oh, I'd like you to prove it_ , Fabio thinks. He's almost tempted to say it out loud. _Little shit._

"Your left one. Don't play coy with me. It has been broken, right? Didn't they set it properly in the hospital? Is that why you prefer your right? It still aches?"

"I'm right handed."

"Liar."

Majid sneers at him. “I said; it’s none of your business.”

Fabio sighs. “Fine. Thank you for coming in, then. I wish you the best. Send Ricca in when you leave, yes? Looks like we might actually have to wake Enzo from his fucking coma after all."

Fabio moves his attention away from Majid to focus on booting up his laptop. _Shit, there goes a good shag_. He's actually sad to see him go.

“Wait.” Majid heaves a sigh. He looks away from Fabio, while Fabio looks back up in interest. “I had trouble with my old employer.”

Ah, like that, is it? Fabio suspected something like this. Even Ricca said that his techniques were definitely taught at an actual gym and that Majid could easily have been a pro, if not for his cheating. It does also explain why Ricca got nothing out of a background check. His old gang would've kept him out of the system, and after Majid left (ran even perhaps?) Majid would've known how to cover his own tracks. Clever boy.

Fabio hums. “Will we have the same problem?”

Majid stares at him. “As long as you respect me and my property. No, we will not have the same issues.” 

“Why this job, though? A handsome man such as yourself should not have to lower himself to the station of a bodyguard,” Fabio questions, twisting his ring around his finger.

Majid raises an eyebrow and doesn’t answer. Fabio leans forward. 

“Fine. Let me put it in a more clear way. What do you get out of this deal, besides the usual; a job, a salary. What else?”

Majid leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. “I protect you, you protect me. My old employer might want me dead. I have no desire to be dead just quite yet. You’re a big fish around here, I’ve heard the stories. So, as long as I keep you alive, I expect you to keep me alive as well. That’s the deal.”

Fabio grins at him, all wide lips and full of teeth. If Majid finds it just a tad unnerving, he doesn’t show it. Fabio is beginning to respect him more and more. He's clearly one of those men who won't show fear. Maybe he has learned how to deal with sharks in his previous job.

He stretches out his hand. 

“Deal. Welcome to the family.” 

\--

The first year flies by faster than Fabio expected. Majid bargained for two months to settle in, learn the company in and out and familiar himself with the crew. He said that if he didn't feel like he belonged with them after those first two months, he would have the freedom to leave without any retributions to him. Fabio assured him that he would always grant Majid this freedom, but that he would see to it that Majid would be treated well by his crew. Once Sperma made a joke about Majid's accent when he and Fabio were practicing his Italian and Fabio had made sure that Sperma was eating his dinner through a straw for at least two months. 

After that, their friendship grew. After all, Fabio had immediately recognised that wild thing inside of Majid on that first night and he was not afraid to show Majid that he knew _exactly_ how it felt. That he was not alone in it, but that he had a companion who could match him in it. They would talk about it, how Majid would not feel anything, no emotions whatsoever until he got to plant his fists in his opponent's face, and Fabio would talk about how he sometimes almost blacks out to it, to the violence he's capable of when he loses his temper. 

But so far, that's the only thing they've been open about to one another. Majid is very closed off and keeps his guard up. At first, Fabio suspected this was only around him - when they had the interview to hire Majid, it was clear that Majid was holding back and had been seizing Fabio up. Either as friend or foe, Fabio wasn't sure. But during his first two months he'd been introduced to the entire family, and Majid had just been as closed off to them as he'd been to Fabio. Out of everyone, Fabio was pretty sure he knew him best still.

After the first two months, when it became clear Majid would be staying and his crew fell in line enough to treat him with respect as Fabio's bodyguard, Fabio expected Majid to be a little more forward. That didn't happen, but due to more time spent together, Fabio working in his office and Majid lounging there, and accompanying him to various business meetings as a bodyguard, Fabio had picked up on some things.

He'd known Majid was from the Netherlands but had Moroccan roots, Ricca had been able to dig up that much, but to actually hear it in practice is something else. One morning, when Fabio gets into his office late, Majid is there already, gesturing to Fabio that he's on the phone.

 _"En je gaat nog steeds naar school, toch?"_ By the tilt of the tone Fabio assumes he just asked a question to the person on the other end of the phone call. Fabio can't hear nor understand the response, but the voice is definitely a higher pitch. Younger, maybe?

Majid hums and gestures to Fabio again, indicating he will be done soon. Fabio waves him off and sits down after his desk, boosting up his laptop and starting on his paperwork. Damn, he really needs to hire an accountant for this shit.

Majid hums some more and then responds. _"Nee, is goed. Als je geld nodig hebt, kan je me bellen, ja? En stuur je rapport maar door over de mail. Als je over bent naar het volgende jaar, stuur ik je een groot cadeau."_

Fabio pretends to work, but his eyes keep gliding over to Majid, who is pinching his lower lip between two fingers, frown firmly in place on his brow while he listens. He's worried, then.

 _"Hoe is mama?"_ Mother? He must be speaking to some relative then, Fabio assumes. He didn't really know if Majid has any family. He certainly never talks about them.

Majid surely hums a lot. _"Zeg maar dat alles goed gaat. Tarik, ik moet gaan, ja? Ik spreek je volgende week weer."_

Sighing deeply, Majid hangs up and flops down into the chair opposite of Fabio. He shoots Fabio an apologetic grimace. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," Fabio says, blinking in confusion at his screen. Then, semi-casual: "So, family?"

Majid huffs out a laugh and buries his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. "You caught that, huh?"

Fabio smiles, gives up on his program for his books and focuses on Majid, who's looking slightly uncomfortable. "I'm pretty sure every language in the world has a form of 'mama'," he answers.

Majid rolls his eyes. "And here I was, worried you'd actually understand Dutch."

Fabio snickers but shakes his head. "No. I don't even understand how you force it out of your throat to be honest. It sounds… harsh."

Majid fully laughs at that. "As if Italian is any better. You guys speak so fucking fast it's like you just spit out syllables at will."

Fabio shrugs, returning his attention to his computer. He really needs this done, so he can look for an actual accountant god dammit. "You've become quite good at it, though. Although your accent needs work."

"You love my accent," Majid shoots back and when Fabio glances up at that, he’s rewarded with a teasing smile. He cocks an eyebrow.

"Do I?"

"Positive." Majid grins at him and Fabio has to look away. He scrapes his throat, once again trying to get back to his fucking books.

"Who is Tarik?" He asks, when the silence settles over them and it becomes clear Majid won't offer anything else on his own when not asked, and Fabio is a nosy person.

Majid sighs. "He's my little brother," he says, looking down to avoid Fabio's surprised gaze. "He's only twelve, quite a bit younger than me. He's still in elementary school, but last year. He just got his rapport back, so he called me to tell me about it. If he passes his class, he'll go into high school next year. And I want him in school, can't have him going down the same path as me. It will break my mother's heart."

Fabio nods, keeping quiet now Majid is finally talking about his family. Majid gives him a sad smile. "I come from Rotterdam, from one of the… lesser neighbourhoods, not upstanding at least. We were dirt poor too, so I dropped out of school, started stealing with my friends and took up professional boxing to get some extra money to support my family, so Tarik could stay in school and have some nice clothes and new shoes when he needs them."

"Must have been hard." Fabio says, nodding understandingly. "What of your parents?"

"Dad worked in flowers, mom is a housewife."

"And Tarik is your only brother?"

At that, Majid actually looks sad and shrinks into himself. Fabio desperately wants to reach out, but isn't quite sure if Majid will allow him, nor welcome his touch. Instead, he fiddles with his mousepad, preventing his laptop from entering sleeping mode. 

"He is now," Majid murmurs, getting up abruptly and swiftly leaving his office. Fabio stays behind, blinking in confusion at that statement but letting the other man go, realising he's not meant to interfere. 

He circles back to Tarik the next day, when Majid comes in with fucked up knuckles and a careful poker face in place, his face carefully blank of any emotion. Fabio angles the laptop towards Majid so he can see the screen, pointedly not making an issue of the state Majid is in. What he does after hours is up to him and doesn't concern Fabio. That doesn't mean he isn't desperate to know, though. He’s pretty sure he wasn’t scheduled to fight this week.

Majid squints at the screen, then glances up at Fabio, looking confused. "What is this?" he asks.

"I've set up a bank account for Tarik," Fabio explains. He hopes he did the right thing, that Majid will actually like this and not knock out his front teeth for interfering in his family matters. "You can deposit some money on your own, or we can deduct some from your salary, so I can deposit for you automatically every month. But that's entirely up to you, I will not touch it any further. You get to decide when Tarik can get into this account, too. Maybe you want to save up for his education, so he can go to university when the time comes?" He shrugs, playing at nonchalance when he's actually very nervous. He has to work hard to keep his hands still - he's noticed Majid has noticed his tendency to stim with whatever is near reach for him when he's worked up or nervous. 

For what seems like forever, Majid says nothing at all. Then, a tiny smile slips out from underneath that mask. "Thank you," he says, and it sounds grateful.

Fabio nods, relieved. "Of course," he says. "We all must look out for our family."

\--

The second real personal thing Fabio learns about Majid is that he has a girlfriend named Tessa. To say that Fabio is thrown off guard by this fact, learned again by walking in on Majid being on the phone, but this time hearing a clearly feminine voice and Majid actually calling her _baby_ , which is weird but whatever, is putting it mildly.

It's not like Fabio minds it, not at all. It's just… he's gotten some mixed signals from Majid, especially at that first fight he saw. He was pretty sure they've started to flirt with each other too, in their own fuck-up way. Some suggestive word-play, some lingering looks and indicative gestures… Fabio really thought they were headed _that way_ , only now to discover that he has a girlfriend? Is the man even interested in him or has he been playing him from the start?

 _'Who is Tessa?'_ he desperately wants to ask. _'Please tell me she's not what I think she is. Tell me she's another relative.'_ But he can see by the looks on Majid's face when he talks to her that that is not the case. So he doesn't ask, doesn't want to know. He'll keep flirting and he'll take what he gets out of it, and he will move on.

He does try to move on, takes home man after man who may or may not look like Majid, it's questionable and can be denied when asked, but it never really satisfies him in the way that matters most. They don't relish in his darkness the way Majid does and so he never ventures into anything even resembling a relationship, instead deciding to send them home immediately after. He's pretty sure Majid knows about his one night stands, but doesn't comment on it, the same way Fabio never comments when Majid picks up the phone, smile breaking out already before picking up to spend the next hour talking to this girl. What they do in their own time is of no significance.

This goes on for a couple of weeks, and Ricca is getting quite fed up with Fabio's moping, tells him as much when Majid has left talking to Tessa, again, and Ricca and Fabio have a moment alone. Ricca closes the door behind him and sits down in the chair that Fabio has unconsciously named Majid's. 

"What the fuck is going on?" he starts, but Fabio is ignoring him in favor of playing solitaire on his laptop.

"I don't know what you mean," he answers, focussing on sliding his entire row onto an Ace so it's complete and he can finish the game.

"Aren't you fucking him? Why the sad faces Fabi?"

Fabio starts and glances up. "We're not fucking," he sputters. "He has a girlfriend! He's not interested in me."

Ricca scoffs. "I'm sure he isn't."

"The man is most likely straight," Fabio mutters, starting up a new round which causes his laptop to freeze up. " _Cazzo!_ Fucking shit laptop!"

Ricca ignores his rant and ducks just in time for Fabio to throw the laptop bodily off the desk. It hits the ground hard and some keys break off. Ricca merily raises an eyebrow and shifts back into his seat.

"Not paying for a new one," he warns. "Have you actually asked him that?"

Fabio scoffs while he whips out his phone, opening Candy Crush. "I'm not asking him if he's straight! What does it matter anyway? He's all loved up for this Tessa person."

Ricca crosses his arms. "Doesn't look like that to me," he says. Fabio looks up and raises an eyebrow. "Just passed him outside. By the sounds of it, they're arguing. They've been doing that for days now. Saw Majid actually punching a wall, just now." Ricca gets up while Fabio looks at him, stunned.

Has he really been this blind?

"I don't know about him being straight. I wouldn't bet on it, with the way he sometimes looks at you," Ricca tells him, voice kind while he makes for the door. "But that relationship isn't going to last."

"Don't give me false hope," Fabio warns. Ricca smiles at him.

"I would never," he says, as he makes it through the door. 

“You like him, then?” Fabio calls after him. “I recall you not wanting to hire him.” 

“I do quite like him,” Ricca answers, stopping the door from falling close and gives Fabio a wicked look. “I’ll like him even more when the two of you work your shit out and he fucks some sense back into you.”

Fabio’s left sputtering in indignation while Ricca laughs. The door closes on a soft click, leaving Fabio alone to deal with whatever this is. 

\--

Turns out, Ricca is right. It’s not even been a week when Majid comes back in, three hours late and his left hand wrapped in bandages, sporting a bruised eye and a swollen jaw. Fabio knows Majid has kept the fighting matches up, more as a sport and a way to lose his frustrations and pent-up energy than as an actual living. While his hands might look worse for wear for a day or two, he’s never looked this bad. 

Fabio is instantly alarmed. “What happened?”

Majid grunts as he lets himself drop in his chair. He doesn't look at Fabio, instead pressed a hand tenderly to his side. Ribs then, too. 

"Nothing," he grinds out. "They finally found a guy who could actually throw a punch. But don't worry, I won." And for the first time since the match, that wolfish grin takes over his face. Fabio is glad he is sitting down - for sure his knees would have felt weak at the sight of it. 

He swallows. "Good," he says. "I'm just not used to seeing you so… roughed up, is all."

Majid shrugs - and winces because of it and Fabio is this close to reaching out - then says: "I prefer to be roughed up in other ways, though," and Fabio freezes, has to forcibly relax himself to not give himself away.

That's the most forward Majid has been so far, and he's watching Fabio closely as if he's gauging his response.

"Have you even cooled that?" he asks instead, switching topics. The grin disappears from Majid's face with a sigh. 

"Do I look like an idiot?"

"Sometimes." Majid huffs out a laugh as Fabio gets up to grab something from the freezer to cool the swelling on Majid's jaw. He finds a bag of peas, wraps it in a cloth to reduce the cold a bit and gingerly presses it to Majid's jaw once he gets back. 

One side of Majid's mouth quirks up into a soft smile. "I don't think that will actually help anymore," he says and Fabio shushes him. They fall into silence and Majid doesn't protest anymore, instead leans into it a little bit and closes his eyes, only opening them when Fabio withdraws his hand temporarily to settle himself into the chair next to him, heart beating in his throat. He softly resumes his actions of cooling the side of Majid's face.

This close, he can smell the cologne Majid likes to wear and the faint smell of his shampoo. It's a comforting scent to have and Fabio resists the temptation to bury his nose in the short cropped hair that's so close to his reach. His free hand twitches a little bit, already halfway raised to trace the line of Majid's jaw. It's a good thing Majid closed his eyes again the minute the cool material is back against the swelling, and Fabio suspects it does reduce the aching, if only temporarily.

He shoves his free hand under his thigh and bites his tongue.

Majid sighs deeply and leans more into Fabio's hand. "You're awfully quiet," he murmurs, peering through one eye at Fabio.

Forced to talk, Fabio smiles a little self-deprecatingly. "I'm sorry, I thought you might enjoy the quiet."

"I do," Majid admits, sounding a little sad at the admission. "But I've grown used to hearing you talk." He huffs and looks away. "Forget it, though. That sounds fucking stupid."

"No, it doesn't." Fabio is glad his voice remains normal, not a hitch to be detected, although his mind is racing. _What is going on?_

Steadying himself, he asks, "What do you want me to talk about?"

"How should I know? You normally don't need any encouragement, you just keep talking regardless of whatever situation we're in." He opens his eyes and stares at Fabio intently.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Majid asks, more gently.

"You."

It leaves his mouth before he can stop himself and Fabio is ready to bolt, if not for the amused lazy smile Majid sends his way. To save himself from further embarrassment, Fabio releases his hand from under his thigh - has to shake some feeling back into it - and flicks it playfully at Majid's hair.

"You should grow it out. It would suit you."

"Should I?" Majid smiles a satisfied smile and closes his eyes once more. "Tell me about it."

Fabio does. He talks about how he noticed little curls when Majid hasn't shaved it yet and how it looks good on him, how he can imagine him with a whole head full of them, how he should consider growing his beard out too, but maybe not because it would hide his dimples. Majid smiles through it, adding commentary every once in a while, 'longer hair is not easy for fighting', to 'I have been thinking about growing a beard', and more often than not humming answers that can range from 'yes' to 'maybe' to 'no'. 

Majid isn't a talker, but Fabio has learned to speak his language ever so slowly and can easily fill in the gaps that Majid doesn't bother to fill up.

They stay like that until the peas start to thaw and the cloth starts to leak water.

At first, they don't notice it, too wrapped up in this game of dialogue until Majid flinches away from the cold drops sliding down his face, over his neck and down into his shirt. Fabio wants to follow that trail with his tongue.

The thought must show on his face, because suddenly the mood shifts as Majid pulls back and _stares_.

"What do you want?" he asks cockily, smirking at Fabio with a gleam in his eye. Like he _knows_.

In that moment, Fabio decides to throw all caution in the wind. He throws the soaking cloth with thawed peas on his desk, climbs out of his seat and bodily throws himself into Majid's lap (apologises in a rush as Majid recoils a little bit, pressing his hand to his ribs and Fabio wants to kiss it better) hands trying to wind themselves into his hair but failing because he recently shaved it and-

"You arrogant motherfucker," he growls and he digs his nails in his scalp, making Majid hiss. "I need you to grow your fucking hair out."

He crashes their mouths together, wrenching Majid's head back to give him more easy access, wasting no time to lick into his mouth, teeth clashing. He's sure Majid makes a sound, feels it vibrating in his chest but is deaf to it, doesn't hear a thing but the rushing of his own blood through his veins.

He's aware of his own hands, scratching over Majid's scalp and his thighs clenching tightly around Majid's thighs. He's aware of Majid's hands, roaming over his body, gliding over his ass, upwards, feeling over his ribs and going up, one hand also tangling in his hair while his left hand, bandage and all, settles on his jaw, effectively forcing Fabio to slow down, the gesture almost tender. Majid sighs into his mouth, angling his head and kissing Fabio softly. Fabio whines as Majid pulls back slightly for air, chuckles at Fabio affectionately before moving back in, mouthing at Fabio's neck, licking and biting his way up back to Fabio's eagerly awaiting lips. Fabio is having trouble staying focused, too caught up in the sensation of having Majid under him, having his head forced backwards to give Majid more room to mark up his neck. And if he's having his way he'll have Majid right here right now, draped over his desk and reduced to a begging mess when Fabio falls to his knees for him to suck him off, giving him his best while he will allow Majid to fuck up into his throat, encouraging it even.

He's so caught up in the sensation of this, of the fantasy so close becoming reality that he at first doesn't register the vibrating at his inner thigh, coming from the pocket of Majid's trousers, and when he does he almost allows himself to ignore it, pretending it could be something, anything else than Majid's phone going off and disturbing them in the worst possible moment.

Majid groans against his neck. "Ignore it," he says, and Fabio grinds out his consent in favor of this plan, redirecting Majid back to kiss him properly again while his hands start toying with the belt, working to get it loose.

"Fuck," Majid says, pushing Fabio a little bit back to make room, his hands leaving Fabio's body to help him with his belt. "Shit."

They aren't aware that the phone stopped ringing, because suddenly the vibrations pick up again and Fabio blows out a breath.

"Persistent," he says and he sounds _wrecked_ already. Majid laughs and shoots him a dirty grin.

"I can't wait to find out what you sound like after I actually get to fuck you," he says and he leans back in to kiss Fabio, preventing him from replying. The belt comes loose and Fabio pushes his shirt out of the way, fingers skimming over Majid's stomach, ready to hook his fingers into the bands of his trousers and underwear to yank them out of the way when Majid's phone starts ringing, again.

 _"Merda,"_ Fabio cusses out, removing his hands and leaning backwards away from Majid. "Turn that fucking thing off."

"I will, I-" he breaks off when he fishes his phone out of his pocket and looks at the caller ID. Fabio doesn't have to guess who's calling, dread rapidly replacing desire. The room temperature drops significantly and he climbs off.

Majid gives him a desperate look, thumb hovering over the screen ready to pick up. Fabio nods at it.

"Do you need to answer?" he asks, sounding calm. It's chilling to his own ears and he sees it happen. Majid closes himself off from him, face going blank once again. That's all the answer he needs.

"Tell her I say hello," he spits out, making a beeline for the door, escaping his own office.

"Fabio," Majid calls after him, sounding apologetic, and it pisses him off, doesn't hear the rest of the sentence thrown after him.

 _"Vaffanculo!"_ he shouts over his shoulder, leaving his office in a whirlwind of anger.

He misses the way Majid was already halfway across the room reaching out to him, watching him go with regret etched into his face, the words unnoticed and the will to repeat them disappearing on his tongue. “We broke up!” He wants to scream, but there will be no one there to hear it. The door shuts with a bang and in a fit of anger, Majid throws his phone against the wall, watching the screen splinter into a thousand fragments.

\--

They feel off-kilter after that incident for quite some time. Fabio was determined to act like nothing happened, but Majid actually confronted him, came to his house that same evening.

"You are my boss," he said, after stubbornly declining to come in, instead shuffling on the spot, hands buried deep in his hoodie, hood pulled up. He's uncomfortable, Fabio noticed. He leaned against the doorway, keeping his mouth shut. What he wanted to say was that it didn't make a difference, but he'd have been lying.

Majid exhaled. "You're not going to say anything?"

Fabio shrugged. "Is there anything I can say to make it better?"

Majid turned away and it pained Fabio to see him go, but maybe it was for the best. This was bound to become messy.

But part of him had howled that night at what he could've had, if only he had reached out and dragged Majid inside, ignoring all the reasons why it couldn't and wouldn't and shouldn't work.

Because the reason it would've been worth it, was that it would've made them both happy.

"You're right," he said, and if he did sound a bit sad Fabio chose to ignore it. "There is nothing to be said."

"It never happened," Fabio said to his retreating back, because part of him wanted it to hurt Majid as much as it was hurting him at this moment.

Majid didn't answer, but looked back over his shoulder. His gaze was unreadable.

What Fabio hadn't taken into account was that Majid was just as able to hurt him back. He just wouldn't do that in a verbal kind of way.

He'd gone back to being reserved, more than before, playing the 'I’m a professional' card. He'd stopped lingering in Fabio's office after his 'official' hours were done, instead leaving without saying a word. He'd also mingle more with the rest of the crew, instead of spending his time with Fabio, helping him in making some decisions and, when there was nothing to do, watching football games with him. 

But the real blow came when Majid accompanied him to a very important truce meeting with one of Fabio's rivals. 

Fabio had been planning on going alone with Ricca, not really knowing where he and Majid stood with one another. He knew that these things could drag out forever and it was Friday night, which meant Majid usually worked out as prep for his fights the next evening, so he had decided to forgo asking Majid to accompany them, not really fearing for his life. Majid had taught him some new tricks after all, and he was dying for an excuse to try them out for real. 

So his surprise is quite clear when he gets into the driver's seat and sees Majid already on the backseat through his mirror, pointingly staring out the window and ignoring both Ricca and him. 

Fabio raises an eyebrow at Ricca, who had climbed in after him on the shotgun seat.

Ricca looks back innocently. “Not risking it. He’s your bodyguard, after all. We can use the extra protection.”

Fabio huffs in disagreement but doesn't start a fight, knowing he won’t win this one anyway because Majid is now staring him down through the rear view mirror, challenging him to throw him out of the car, to give him an excuse to walk away. So he stays silent, starting the car and driving the three of them to the meeting point, some abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere in relative silence. 

The meeting itself went quite well, the two gangs establishing some new borders and ground rules to not interfere with each other as much as they'd been doing for some time now, which had caused some friction between a few crew members on both sides. Majid had to interfere twice to ensure no fights would break out, but when it became clear the business talk was done and Fabio was asked to stay for a drink to toast to it, Majid slips out of the office. Fabio notices another man following him out, but can't really respond to it - this toasting is as much part of the job as the actual negotiating and it would make everything fall apart if he leaves now. But his gut is telling him he would not like what he’d find.

It takes another two hours to wrap everything up, and Fabio is feeling kind of tipsy because of the very expensive bourbon he has had, his glass never quite empty but being refilled a few times without him asking for it. He manages to thank them courteously for the hospitality and the drinks, and with Ricca in tow he makes for the exit, muttering about Majid disappearing under his breath while Ricca ignores his whining, whispering back that he's most likely outside waiting by the car for them to finally get back home, when Fabio sees it.

Majid is leaning against the wall, arms crossed and face expressionless, and it would be a sight to behold if only he would've been alone. Instead, he's with the guy that had followed him out. At first, Fabio doesn't really register what is going on, the booze making his thought process a couple of times slower than it usually is. His first thought is: 'that guy really isn't that remarkable', long and dark hair, slightly built, a bit gangly in his movements. But then his mind speeds up, and he notices that the guy is on his knees and the sounds that come from that mouth, wrapped around Majid's cock are _obscene_ and- 

And in that exact moment Majid looks over, sees Fabio look and smirks, leaning slightly forward to whisper something into the guy's ear. Fabio doesn't see the response, instead being shepherded away by Ricca who's got his arm in a vice, dragging him down the hall towards the main doors.

"Well, at least he's not straight," Ricca says, trying to light up the mood. Fabio swears and digs out his car keys, throwing himself into the driver's seat and aggressively tries to fire up his engine. It won't start and Fabio might scream with frustration if he didn't have a reputation to uphold. Besides, he refuses to show Majid that he cares.

He feels a soft touch on his shoulder and glances up. Ricca looks at him with worry, standing bent over to be able to look at Fabio.

"Let me drive. You've been drinking," he says softly, gently guiding Fabio out of the car so he can take his place. It's not the drinking he's worried about, Fabio knows. It's this reaction to what he just saw, it's going to be playing on loop the whole ride back and maybe it's better to work himself up over it in the passenger's seat instead of driving them to an early grave.

"We should leave him behind," Fabio sneers.

"We're doing no such thing," Ricca answers, starting up the engine and finding a radio station to his liking. "He's still your bodyguard."

"Not for long," Fabio mutters under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut and willing the image burnt into his brain to disappear. 

"What did you say?" Ricca asks, looking up from setting up the navigation on his phone. When Fabio doesn't answer he sighs. "You said yourself there's nothing happening between you two. Let him have his fun then, yes?"

"I don't like it."

"Then do something about it."

Fabio doesn't get the chance to snipe an answer back, because the backdoor opens and Majid slides into his seat, slightly out of breath.

"Sorry about the wait, wasn't aware of the time," he says as he buckles himself in. Fabio ignores him, which makes Ricca roll his eyes at him.

"No problem, mate. As long as you had fun."

Ricca and Majid strike up a conversation, mostly about the negotiations and what Majid missed. Fabio ignores it, leaning his head against the window and watching the world speed by. Against his better judgment, he lets himself be lulled by the quiet conversation and the moving of the car to sleep.

He's vaguely aware of Majid telling Ricca that he's got him, and the sensation of the door being pulled open makes him feel like he's just fallen off an edge. He's jarred awake, looking up blearily. 

Majid huffs, an amused tilt to his lips. "Did I wake you?"

Fabio hums, flailing slightly at unbuckling himself and getting out of the car. Majid reaches out to steady him once he's on his feet and the world backs out for a bit, getting up that quickly making his blood pressure drop. 

"Alright?"

"Yes, I am not a child," Fabio exclaims, stepping away from Majid. "Why do you care anyway?"

Majid ignores him, saying goodbye to Ricca who drives off. Fabio is very confused. Majid lives closer to Ricca's than to him, so what is he still doing here?

"I am making sure you get home safe," Majid says, looking down the dark street. It's well past midnight and the street is deserted. When Fabio really started to earn some money, he'd moved to the outskirts of the city, where he could get more space for the same amount of cash, with a nice garden to boot. But it also meant that it was a lot more quiet. He sometimes misses the evergoing noise of downtown, the way restaurants and bars would stay open well into the night, still full with customers no matter what day of the week it was.

"There's no need," Fabio says, shaking himself out of the reverie, walking down the street towards his house. "This place is as good as dead after dark. No need for you to protect me here. I'm as safe as I can be."

"You can barely keep your eyes open. I am taking you home and that's it." Majid jogs up to Fabio and walks with him, close enough that they brush arms a couple of times. Majid radiates warmth, and he smells like cigarette smoke and his aftershave. It's comforting and Fabio wants to press himself against Majid's side, despite the fact that he's actually very put off with him and considering firing him in the morning. Those thoughts are pushed back into the corner of his mind when he feels Majid's fingers brush his own. Some part of him hopes Majid is doing this on purpose. If only he would reach out.

Fabio turns to walk up his lawn and half expects Majid to stop following him. But instead, Majid walks him up. He's thinking about something, Fabio can see it in his expression. So he waits, curious what is on the other man's mind. No words come, but he looks appropriately guilty at Fabio, most likely for his behaviour earlier this evening.

_So, that's what this was, an apology._

Fabio nods understandingly and turns to unlock his front door. He's already two steps in, when Majid is still lingering in the doorway. It's a good thing Fabio is still a bit sleepy, otherwise he would've done something he was most likely going to regret later, like inviting him inside.

Instead, his mind is already halfway in his bed and the deep sleep that will follow as soon as he lies down, so he gives Majid a smile that's half sad, half fond. "I will see you after the weekend," he says, and he moves to close the door.

"Tessa and I broke up," Majid says in a rush, and it makes Fabio freeze in his tracks. The door is being pushed open, out of Fabio's hands, and Majid steps inside, carefully locking the door after him. In the meantime, Fabio's mind is trying to catch up.

"What?"

"We broke up," Majid repeats. "We already were when we kissed. It fucked me up, and I am sorry. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting, and I'm sorry about taking it out on you." He steps up to Fabio, making him move so that his back is against the front door and Fabio holds his breath out of reflex while his mind goes quiet. Majid gets into his space, brings his hands up and swipes a thumb affectionately over his cheekbone.

"I am going to kiss you," Majid whispers, right before he moves in and Fabio's desperate plea dies in his throat at the feeling of those soft lips on his own. He clutches at Majid's biceps, still a little in shock at this development but enjoying it all the same. The wood of the door is cold and unyielding at his back, but Majid is kissing him deep but oh so sweet, a hand clutched in his hair while the other holds onto his jaw, thumb still caressing his cheek, a warm presence in front of him. 

They get lost in it, and Fabio lost all thoughts of sleep, of ever sleeping again if he just can do this a little while longer. They break off a few times in need of air, but they just smile at each other and dive back in, giving and taking freely. But the door is getting painful in his back and Fabio has more comfortable places in this house. So he breaks off the kiss once more, chuckling slightly at the feeling of his lips being slightly swollen, the tickling sensation at his chin and his cheeks from beginning to become slightly irritated by Majid's stubble. Majid laughs, carefully tracing the pink spots.

"I should shave, next time," he says and Fabio whacks him on the arm.

"Absolutely out of the question," he counters, playfully.

"Do you like it so much?" Majid asks, eyebrows going up while his eyes start traveling down along the length of his body, pausing at Fabio's thighs. He gives Fabio a significant look which makes Fabio's mouth go dry.

"We shall see," he says, swallowing around the lump in his throat. Majid chuckles and moves back in to start another kiss, but Fabio stops him.

"Stay the night?"

The smile he gets from Majid is blinding and so Fabio leans back up to kiss it, but breaks it off just as quickly because he's really getting uncomfortable. Majid's laugh rumbles in his chest and Fabio can feel the vibrations in his own. It's a wonderful thing to feel. Fabio grabs Majid by the hand and makes his way down the hallway, putting down the lamps he left on before he left, towards his bedroom with Majid in tow.

**Author's Note:**

> Part two coming to you as soon as I am possible and these two idiots actually start to do what I want them to do.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it <3
> 
> DUTCH TRANSLATIONS:
> 
> "En je gaat nog steeds naar school, toch?" --> "and your still going to school, right?"
> 
> "Nee, is goed. Als je geld nodig hebt, kan je me bellen, ja? En stuur je rapport maar door over de mail. Als je over bent naar het volgende jaar, stuur ik je een groot cadeau." --> no, that's alright. If you need any money, just call me, right? And send your rapport over the email. I'll send you a big present if you made it into your next year."
> 
> "Hoe is mama?"--> "How's mum (doing)?"
> 
> "Zeg maar dat alles goed gaat. Tarik, ik moet gaan, ja? Ik spreek je volgende week weer." --> "You can tell everything's fine. Tarik, I got to go, okay? I'll talk you next week."


End file.
